Apparatus for vulcanizing rubber tires, tubes, and the like



Nov. 8, 1932. J. R. STRICKLEN ET AL 1,887,251

APPARATUS FOR VULCANIZING RUBBER TIRES, TUBES, AND THE LIKE Fi led Aug. 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 we H m .2 v R f T5 m N./. T Eee T V a A mMm 0 A v 1932- J. R. STRICKLEN ET AL 1,837,251

APPARATUS FOR VULCANIZING RUBBER TIRES, TUBES, AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 12, 1931' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Exhaust INVENTOR Jbbn Q Stricklen gamuel ,4. Fr'allrze 9. ATTQ NEY latching the breech lock.

Patented Nov. 8,: 1932 wes starters YORK some a. srnro rnnn-ennsemunn A. rar rnnpr hxnonj'onro, sesame-s To TAYLOR; INSTRUMENT COMPANIES, or nocnns'rnre nnw. HYQBK, TA, conronarron on nw APPARATUS For, voroairrznve Roxanna rrans r nnnsjimn r m LIKE.)

inet e filed August 12, 1e31.'-.sria1 No. 556,508.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for vulcanizing rubber tires, tubes and the like, and i more particularly to the mechanism and method ot operatin'g the same for automatically controlling the cycle 'ofcertain operations in the vulcanization of tubes.

The present invention is an improvement over the inventions disclosed inour co'pendin'g applications Ser. #4:1&,302 filed December 16',

- 1929 andSer. #18,233 filed January 3, 1930,

andhas for its main feature the simplification of the mechanism for automatically effecting the various operations in the'cycle of a. press or vulcanizer, and torpertorming severalioi": these operations simultaneously,' so that the duration ofthe cycle may be reduced.

' Another 'featureot the invention relates to an arrangement whereby the breech lock or other locking device of a press or vulcanizer may be actuated simultaneously'with the infiati on of the diaphragm, which functions to bring the mold elements of the press into substantially exact registry, although there is' preferably a slight lag in the infiation'of the diaphragm with respect to the operation of An additional feature of the invention relates to 'thecuse of asingle'fluid-operated motor valve for controlling the opening of the press and unlocking the breech look, while a single fluid-operated motorvalve controls the latching of the breechlock andthe-inflation of the diaphragm.

These and other novel features oft-heinvention will appear from the detailed description and the claims when taken with the drawings which Fig. l is a front elevation of an individual unit vulcanizer or press; Fig; 2 is a side elevation of this press represented in closed position in full lines and in :open position in brokenli'nes, saidpress having cooperating therewith a system of control according to the presentinvention; ,3 isIaP- p v 4 V by setting forth theseveral' steps or Operadiagrammatic representation of the control section of one type of electro pneumatic .tion of asuitable check valve; 7.

switch for use :as a. part ofithe 0on tlOl equipment as indicated ,inthe diagram l of F 1g. 3,'and Fig. 5 is av view partially insec Referring especially to Figs; 1 and designates a base, andla adiaphragrn casingof an individual tubevulcanizer or press otwellknown torm,comprising a loosely mounted or floating lower moldsection 2: and an upper mold section 3 pivoted at 4: for movement be tween its open position represented inQbrokeii lines (Fig. 2) :to its closed position in engagement with the lower mold section, as repre-. sented in full (lines; As is well kn0wn,j,the upper mold section 3 is provided with arm 5 to the free .endof which ispivotally connected at 6, piston rod 7 and piston 23.. Thisipiston is adapted for movement withinthe cylinder 8 under control of fiuidfpressureand-gravity.

Since the tube, while being vulcanized, is sub? ected to internal pressure, thesections2 and .3 of the .mold :are locked closedcduring the vulcanization period by agbr'e'ech lock 9cen- .trally mounted on thebase for partial rota: t-ion. This breech lock has latches 10 arranged for rotary engagement with the lugs 11. on the top mold section, whereby the two mold sections are locked in closed position. At the lower end of thebreech lock 9, there is fastjened an arm 12 whichis pivotally connected to the piston rod l3'and.piston40, mounted for, movement in the breech'lock cylinder 84:. The lower or floating section of the mold rests on an expansibleannular diaphragm 14: supported within the diaphragm casing 16;, which diaphragm when expanded, serves to force the lower floating section 2 of themold into'suchclose contact'with the upper mold section 3 that substantially no, rubber is ex- 1 truded at'the joint between the sections. f

' NVith this general description of the more important elements of thepress,it is believed that the invention will. be best understood tions involved in operating the press vto vulcanize a tube as diagrammatically indi- I cated in Fig. 3. J

In the operation or the vulcanizer it is only necessary for the attendant to insert atube such as indicated at 15 into the open press,

and then attach the valve stem (not shown) of the unvulcanized tube to conduit 63 for inflation, as will be further pointed out.-

Then the'operator depresses the handle 16 which is pivoted atl'? and arranged to open a vent or escape valve 18 for the conduit 19.

This conduit normally suppliesa controlling.

fluid pressure such as compressed air to the top of the motor diaphragm valve 20 to hold it in its open position, so that operating fluid pressure. from the c91 duit 2 2 ;enters the interior of the cylinder 8 to force the piston 23 toward the right, thereby holding the res s open and also fluid pressure enters into the left hand end 'ofbreech lock cylinder to hold the breech lock in its unlatchedposition. When the attendant by pressing the handle 16, opens the vent or release valve 18, the

controlling fluid pressure'atthe top of the valve'20 is relieved which, in turn, cuts oif the fluid pressure supply of conduit- 22 from the left hand side of'piston 23. The valve 20 V at the same time, at its exhaust port also relieves fluid pressurefrom the piston 23, permitting the top section 3 of the mold to move under the action of gravity into its closed position and likewise-relieves the pressure from the left hand end of thebreech lock cylinder 84, so thatwhen fluid pressure is applied at the proper time to the right hand endfof this cylinder the breech lock may be moved-to its locking position.

. At the time when fluid pressure is released from the conduit 19, an electro-pneumatic switch 24 is actuated to. start the operation of the mechanism of an electric clock diagrammatically indicated at 25. i The structure OftlliS clock and associated mechanism within the casing 38, is only diagrammatically represented inFig. 3, but is preferably similar in construction and operationto that disclosed in the pending application of E. B.

Foote, SerialNo. 464,099, filed June 26, 1930.

l The electro-pneumatic switch, as shown in Fig. 4, includes a cylinder having an inlet connected to the fluid pressure source through conduit 26. Within the cylinder there is fixedly mounted at one end a compressible capsular structure 27, at the upper end of which there is fastened a U-shaped conducting element'28 adapted in its uppermost position to -make electrical connection between the clips 29 and 30. These clips are respectively connected to the electrical conductors 31 and'32, which are included in the circuit of the electric clock 25. The arrangement of this electro-pneumatic switch is such that as f long as fluid pressure is applied through conduit 26 to the capsular structure 27, this structure holdsthe conducting element 28 out of engagement with thementioned clips, so that the circuit of the electric clock isincomplete.

This clock, when started by the completion of its circuit at the electr'o-pneumatic switch, is arranged to cause a smgle rotation of cam 33 and then to come to a stop. On the periphery of this cam, there engages the cam follower 34 in the form of a bell crank lever which, in turn, actuates the tappet bar 35 having horizontal arms 36 and 37 to engage theitappets of pilot air'valves 45, 41 and 49 to be referred to. As soon as the electric clock starts to'operate, the cam 33 actuates thecam' follower 34, which operates tappet bar "35 thereby causing its arm 36 to moveaway from the tappet of reverse acting pilot valve 49. This pilot valve thus operates to cut off controlling air pressure from conduits50, 19 and 26, even after the attendant closed vent 18 by the release ofstarting handle 16, until the clock has caused a single rotation of the cam 33.

As the electric clock continues to rotate the cam 33, it further actuates the cam fol.- lower 34 which now,;in turn, operates tappet bar 35. Arm 37 of this bar operates the air pilot valve 41 which, through conduit 42, appliesthe operating fluid pressure to the top of the motorgvalve 43. This motor valve is. thus actuated to close its exhaust andtoconnect the fluid pressure sup ly'from conduit 21 to conduit 44 having ranches 44aand. 446, the former branch leading to the annular diaphragm 14 and the latter branchleading tothe right hand side of the the valve 46;which, on operation, closes its exhaust and connects: the fluid pressure from theconduit 21- to the conduit 63 for thep'ur- -pose of inflatingthe tube 15.

The operations just referred to are effected during the very, short time that the cam fol- --lower .34 is moving from its normal-position, as shown, up the inclined portion 48 of the cam 33, to the regular portion ofthe'periphery of, this cam. It will-be understood that while the cam follower 34 is riding on "the regular portionof the cam 33,the vulcanization of the tubeis being completed. Then, -when the cam follower drops into notch 49, the pilot air valve 45 releases pressure from the motor, valve 46, so that it disconnectsfluid pressure from the conduit63and permits the tube 15 to be deflated through this. conduit.

Subsequently,,when the cam follower drops into notch v50, the pilot airvalve 41- relieves the controlling pressure in conduit 42, so that the motor-valve 43 releases, to disconnectopcrating fluid pressure from the conduit 44 and to connect this conduit to the exhaust. This permits the diaphragm 14 to bedeflated and also releases pressure from the right hand end of breech lock cylinder 84, so that the piston maybe moved to the rightrto" unlock the breech lock.- As the cam rotates further, the cam follower 34 dropsinto the notch shown as its normal position. When the cam follower 3 reaches this normal po sition, it permits the arm 36 to engage the tappet of the reverse-acting valve 4 :9 whereby. thisvalve applies fluid'pressure through the conduit to the conduit branches 1 9 and 26. Conduit 26 now applies fluid'pressure'tothe electro-pneumatic switch 24, to open the cir-, cuit ofthe electric clock and thereby, deter-- mine the end of its cycle of rotation The pressure applied to the conduit 19 actuates the valve 20 to close its exhaust and to con used.

nect fluid pressure through theconduit'22 to, the left hand side of the piston .lO which .unlocks the breech lock, and to apply pressure to the left hand side of the .piston 23,. (Fig. 3),to elevate the top mold section 2 of the press. It should be'noted that the conduit 52 hasa check valve 53 included therein, which mm the nature of a flapper valve so arranged that fluid pressure is slowly introduced into the left hand end of the cylinder 8, to cause the mold to open slowly, and to insure that pressure will be built up rapidly in the left hand side of cylinder 84 so that the breech lock will beunlatched before the mold sec-v tion 3'starts to open. However,when fluid pressure is being released from the left hand side of this cylinder to close the press, this flapper valve offers no impedance. In other words, the press closes quickly and opens slowly. I i

From the foregoing description, it will be observed that only three main motor valves are necessary to control the several steps in the cycle of operation of the press. This is due to the fact that certain of these operations are simultaneouslyeffected, so that a single valve can he used to control two different operations. I V In addition to the saving in cost by the reduction of the number of the mainmotor valves to a total of three, the main advantage of the present invention lies in the fact that it permits the vulcanizing apparatus to close more quickly than in prior arrangements where a greater number of motor valves was reduces delayfrom the time one side of the tube comes in contact with the lower mold section until it comes in contact with the upper mold section and is fully inflated, In this way all parts of the tube are more uniformly cured. 1 V

We claim: I V r 1, The combination with a tube vulcanizer having a mold divided into sections, at least one of which sections is movable, means for This quick closing of the apparatus 7 controllingthe closing of said mold including a a cylinder and a piston, said piston being op-..

eratively connected to at le'astone 'oifsaid sections, abreech lockforllocking 's aid 'niold' -v closed, means'for actuating saidbreechlock including. a cylinder and a piston, and a pressure operated diaphragm for bringing;

saidmold sections into registration, of a pres-L sure regulating system including a conduit connected toone end of each ofjsaid cylinders,

a single motor valve for jadmitting fluid pr ssure into said 'cylindersthrough said -conduit 1 to hold said mold in open position and to hold 7 said breech lock. unlatched, a, second" conduit f connected with said diaphragm andvwith the other end of-said breech lock cylinder, 'a'sin gle motor valvefor admitting fluid pressure into the said last-mentioned conduit, a third conduitconnectible to the tube to be vul canized, a third motor valve admitting fluid pressureto said third conduit for inflating said tube, a source of fluid pressure connectibleto.

all of said conduits through said valves, andmeans for controlling the sequence and duration of the operation of Slld VLlVGS.

The combination with a'tube vulcanizer having a mold divided into sections, at least one of which sections is movable, means for tions into'registration, of a pressure regulat- I ing system including a conduit connected to one end -of each o'f'said cylinders, a single motor; valve for admitting fluid pressure into said cylinders throughsaid' conduit to hold said mold in open position and to hold said breech lock; unlatched, a second conduit connected with said diaphragm and with thevother end of said breech lock cylinder, a single motor valve foradmitting'fluid pressure into said last-mentioned conduit, athird conduit connectibl'eto the tube to be vulcanized, a third motor valve admitting fluid pressure to said third conduit for inflatingsaid tube, a source of fluid pressure connectible to all of said condults through said valves, and

means actuated in accordance with time for controlling the sequence and duration of the operation of saidjvalves.

3. The combination with a tube vulcanizer having a-mold divided into sections, at least one of which sections is movable, means for closing said. mold including a cylinder and a piston, said piston being operativelycon nected to at least'one of said sections, a breech lock for locking said mold closed, means for 7 der and apiston, and a fluid pressure opactuating said breech lock including a cylin- I all ofsaid conduits through said valves, a sec-' ing system including a conduit connected to one .end of each of said cylinders, a single fluid pressure operated valve for admitting fluidpressure into said cylinders through said conduit to hold said mold in open position and to hold said breech lock unlatched,,a'secondconduit connected to said diaphragm' and with the other end of said breech lockcylin der, a single fluid pressure operated valve for admitting fluid pressure into the said lastmentioned c0ndu-it,a third conduit connecti-" bletothetube to be vulcanized, a third fluid pressureoperated valve admitting fluid pressure to said third conduit for inflating said tube,'a source of, fluidpressure connectible to 0nd sourceoi fluidpressure and a series of f pilot valves actuated in accordance with a closing said mold including acylinderrand a piston, said piston being operatively connected to at least one of said sections, a breech lock. for. locking said mold closed, means for actuating said breech lock including a cylinder and piston, and a fluid-pressure operated diaphragm for bringing said mold sections into registration, of a pressure regulatingsystem including a conduit connected to one end of each of said cylinders, a single valvecfor ad- 'B mitting fluid pressure into said cylinders through said conduit to hold said mold open position and to hold said breech lock uns latched, a second conduitconnected with said diaphragm and with the other end of said breech lock cylinder, a single valve for-admitting fluid pressure into said last-mentioned conduit, means in said last-mentioned conduit for delayingithe application of fluid pressure to said diaphragm with respectto said breech'lock cylinder, a third conduit connectible to'the'tube to be vulcanized,.a third valve admittin rfluid pressure to said third conduit for inflating said tube, .a'csource of fluid pressure connectible to all of said conduits through said valves, and'means for controlling the sequence and duration of the operation of said valves. p

5. The combination with a tube' vulcanizer having a mold divided into sections, at least 53 one of which sections is movable, means controllingthe closing of said moldincluding a cylinderand a plston, abreechlock for locking said mold closed, means for actuating sa1d breech lock including a cylinder and a pis-r ton, and a fluid pressure operated "diaphragm for bringing saidmoldsectio'nsinto registration, of a time pressure regulating system, including a conduit connected to one end of each-of said cylinders, a single valve for adimitting, fiuidpressure' into said cylinders I, through saidconduit toholdsaid moldin open position and to hold said bI'GClllOCkllH-T latched, a second conduit conne-cted'with said diaphragm and with other'end of saidbreech .70

lock] cylinder, a single valve for admitting fluid pressure 1nto Sa1dlast-mentioned conduit, a third conduit connectible'to the tube to be vulcanized,a third valve admitting fluid pressure to said thirdconduit for i'nflatingsaid tube, a source of fluid pressure 'connectible to a1lofsaidconduits through said valves, and

manually controlled means for initiating the release-of said first-mentioned valve, and means initially operated in response vto the operation of said manually operated means for controlling the sequence and duration of theoperation ofsaidremaining valves. p i

6;" Ina vulcanizing device, a press having mold sect ons, means for closing said mold sections, a lock for holding said sections closed, reg sterlng means for bringing said mold sections into registry, and means for simultaneously initiating the operation of the locking means and the registering means.

7 7. Ina 'vulcanizing device, a press having mold sect-ions, means forclosing said mold sections, a lock for holding said sections closed, registering means for bringing said mold sections; into registry, and means for simultaneouslyinitiating the operation of the locking means and the registering means while retarding the complete operation of said registering means. i

1 8. In a vulcanizing device, a press having mold sections, means for'closing said mold sections, a lock for holding said sections closed, an inflatable diaphragm to'bring said mold sections, into registry, andmeans for simultaneouslyinitiating the operation of the locking means and the inflation of said diaphragm. V

' 9. "In a vulcanizing device, a press having moldlsections, means for closing said mold sections, a lock for holding said sections closed, an inflatable'diaph'ragm to bring said mold sections into registry, and means for simultaneously initiating the operation of the locking means and the inflation of said diaphragm whileretar'ding the inflation of-said diaphragm. v

'10; In a vulcanizing device, a press having mold" sections, means for opening and closing said mold sections, a lock for holding said sections closed, means for bringing said mold sections into registry, means for simultaneously initiating the lockingof said lock and the operation of said registering means, and means for simultaneously initiating the unlocking oi.

11. Ina vulcanizing device, a press having mold sections, means for opening and closing said mold sections, a lock for holding said sections closed, an inflatable diaphragmfor bringing said mold sections into registry,

means for simultaneously initiating the operation of the locking means and the inflation of said diaphragm While retarding the inflation of said diaphragm, and mechanism for simultaneously initiating the unlocking of said lock and the operation of the means for opening the mold sections While delaying the operation of said opening means. I

I In testimony whereof We affix our signatures.

' JOHN R. STRIGKLEN.

SAMUEL A; FRAINE. 

